osidriafandomcom-20200213-history
Rhyelta
A small island that is famous for its perpetual winter. It was once the home of an ancient white dragon that was vanquished by a group of heroes long in the past. A natural portal to the Paraelemental Plane of Ice exists underneath a huge glacier, in a deep crevasse called the Frozen Abyss. Landscape The temperature of Rhyelta seldom rises above freezing, causing a large amount of snowfall and blizzards. Guardsmen Mountains The island is split into two halves by the Guardsmen Mountains, a chain of frosty peaks that was once heavily garrisoned by Ezentar. When the great white dragon still lived, the Guardsmen Mountain fortifications were intended to keep the rest of the island safe. Now they have fallen into disrepair and and lie abandoned. The frost giants of the north have begun to move into the northern mountains, but they have yet to intrude far enough to justify any real alarm. The Great Pearl Glacier The Great Pearl Glacier looms above the rest of the island, sparkling in the light. It is barren an mostly uninhabited but for ice elementals and a few exiled frost giants. The glacier was once the domain of Hinoth, an ancient white dragon that terrorized the island. The great castle, built for Hinoth by slaves and worshipers, still stands upon the glacier and remains the subject of dark rumors from both the giants and the inhabitants of Himinssk. The Frozen Abyss A crevasse in the ground cuts through the earth, cutting underneath the glacier. The temperature inside the abyss is even colder than the rest of the island, almost impossible to traverse without some form of magical protection. Somewhere in the abyss lies a portal to the Paraelemental Plane of Ice and Frost. Usually, this means that the northern half of the island is host to a large number of elementals. There have been legends among the frost giant tribes of worse things coming through, and the portal is viewed with no small amount of fear. Frostspire Forest The forest to the south of Himinnsk is perpetually frozen and covered in ice. The trees possess a special property that filters ice until it's clear and allows light through. This makes the forest especially beautiful, but also makes the trees more difficult to cut down. Settlements There are few settlements on Rhyelta, as the harsh clime makes establishing new villages difficult. Although a few well established villages exist on the periphery of Himinnsk, the bulk of the population lives in one of the two major settlements. Himinnsk Himinnsk is a small city of 3,500 that exists on the southern half of the island. It is near the frozen Lake Andera and close to the Frostspire Forest. The citizens of Himinnsk are a hardy people and well used to living through the blizzards of Rhyelta. The harsh environment fosters a strong sense of community and mutual benefit, which means that there is very little political intrigue - in fact, politics are seen as an unfortunate necessity to be avoided whenever possible. There are few regulations, and people are generally expected to avoid causing trouble for other people. The justice system of Himinssk has a strong tendency towards mob justice. Bulls Camp The Bulls have established a settlement on the island at the base of the Guardsmen Mountains. The camp holds about 600, making it only slightly more populous than most villages. The presence of the Bulls is welcome to the inhabitants of Himinnsk, who are glad to have a source of trade other than the occasional merchant and the rare trade agreement with frost giants. The commander of the camp is a gruff dwarf named Vilbrand Bjornnson. The camp is nominally more organized than Himinnsk, at least to the point of having appointed huskarls and hersirs in charge of defense of the camp. Other Inhabitats Frost Giants The northern half of the island is the homeland of the frost giants, and plays host to a great many giant tribes. The giants generally don't attempt to intrude into the southern half of the island, with the occasional exception of more desperate exiles. The more enterprising giant tribes rarely make trade agreements with Himinnsk, and the agreements - though always tense - have resulted in profit for both sides. Creatures Most creatures on Rhyelta have developed defenses against the cold and other adaptations necessary for life in the frozen wastes. Woolsbuck Woolsbuck are a type of giant goat with a snow white pelt and large horns that curve backwards. The woolsbuck are raised as livestock by the inhabitants of Rhyelta and are the main source of meat for most inhabitants of the island. Though stubborn and stupid, woolsbuck have been tamed to the point of being able to be ridden by the more patient inhabitants. While not good for pulling carts, they are sometimes used by those who are going into the mountains for their steady footing. Alpine Lions Lions with white pelts and a silvery mane that inhabit the Guardsmen Mountains. They are smaller and more lithe than lions found on other islands, making them suitable for jumping nimbly around the stones of the mountains. The Alpine Lions have been hunted for their beautiful pelts, and are currently being protected by the Circle of Blue Frost, and order of druids that inhabits the central Guardsmen Mountains. Yeti The Yeti are semi-intelligent creatures that live in the Guardsmen Mountains. Though they usually keep to themselves, they are very territorial and will attack any that intrude into their domain. There is also at least one instance of a starving Yeti raiding the Bulls Camp for food. Category:Islands